Traffic-signal switch



Aug. 31 1926. c H BISSELL 7 TRAFFIC SIGNAL SWITCH I Flled May 12, 1924 4sheets-sheet 1 E as. L

ATTORNEKQ/ Aug. 31,1926.

V v c. BISSELL TRAFFIC $IGNAL SWITQH Filed May 12, 1924 -4 Sheets-Shed 2i v INVlNTOk. I

Quad/43W A TTORNEYS; v

Aug. 31, 1926. 1,597,714

C. H. BISSELL TRAFFIC S'IFNAL s'wmcn Filed May 12,1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4ATTORNEYS.

Gun-mumm es:

Patented Aug. 31, 1926.

g 1,597,714 uNmrw-s'r Ares rarmr forr icsiifi or'srmcusn, mew roan, Aconrosarroa 01* NEW Yomr rmmcarcm SWITCH.

gun an filed-May 12,

This invention mlatea to trafiic signals; on signals-i for controlling.traffic;v as street traflic' at street intersect-iensand. other pointsand! has for. its; object mparflicularly simple; compact switcln for,controlling the flow at current: to: thevarious signals-s or groups ofsignalsin. the system. c

The invention consists in the no'ueltfeatures' and' in the: combinations1 and: constnuctions hereinafter: set forth and; claimed. t

In describing: this imvention,v reference is had tothe-aocompanying:drawings in which like-chanactiensdesignate corresponding parts in allthe views. I

Figure: 1; is a' plan uiew, partlybroken away oi this; swiflchii FigureQ-isa: sect-'onalview taken vertiually and: centrally on Fhgunerl.

Figure 3; is: a p12m- View of? the base of the: switch.

, Figure: his afsectional view taken vertr cally and centrally ctFigure-3i.

Figime 5 isa diagrammatic view of H118 switch andt the: wiring: of?thecircuits; con trolled! theneby; i

'llhisr traflic siglmli switch: comprisesgem" anally aibascm series of'contacts mountedon the. base and! cmmeotudf respectively tothecincuits'oli (liflbrcntsi'gnals: on gmu'p ofi'signals; a switch amnmnvaoly mounted on the base and; movaables snccesively' into engagementwith thm contacts; a cover for the: base: and operating means; forrthe:switch carried by the cover andl detachable? fnom; the? switch 1 arm:upon the removakofthe covcrfand' attachable thereto upon. replacement ofthe cover. a i v 1 1* designates thebaae' of switch, which is of'suitable: insulating material. The

switch base is mcuntml on tile base/2 of a suitable housing, it being.here. shown! as mounoed uponeposts=3'rising from the bottom of thehousing base-2; 4', 5 and 6 designate respectively contacts mounted ina! serieson the base 3; they being preferably mounted in an arc-shapedseries and having" arc shaped engaging faces. 7 is t he= movable switcharm also mountbd on the base and' having a: contact head 8 for" engagingthe ontacts:4, anrliiilon the base; The switch arm is pivotally momrhedom tile base at the center of the arc. of the contacts 43, 5

and 63 p 1 The switch arm 71, as here shown, is mountedcm a shaft 9jnurnulled in a suitmacv sonar m flagssu;

able bearing;10?secured inthebase-l, the arm: having a splitbeaning; on,the shaft and be: ing securcditotheshaft by a clamping screw 1-1-eX-tcnding through therjaws of the split bearing; The arm is usually ofmetal. The" contact; head 8 extends transversely at the outer end of thearm: and is; pivoted; between its endsto theanm 7 and also movableradially. or lengthwise of the arm 7' and-is pressedby'springmeanstoward thecontacts-4,5 and 6; The head 8, as-zhere shown; is formedwith; a centrally located pivot 12 arranged in: a lengthwise slot 13inthe arm and: is provided with; contact points, as rollers: P4 at itsopposite ends, these rollers being: spaced: apart a greater distancethan the space between any two contactsaE 5' and 6, in order. to bridgethe space between the contact and remain in engagement; momentarily withone contact, while moving into engagement. with the, next contact. Theserollers 14 anez 'arnanged: in: pairs and each pair isfconnected by anaxle 16, which seats in a1 notchnl'fi inztheaend of thehead 8;.- The:head 8-is pressed toward the: contacts 4 5 and (Hey suitable-means, as aspringlfl, located in a recess: extendingr lengthwise of the arm 7- andthnusting against a1 head: 19 sliduble in the recessand thrustingagainst? the-near side: of the-head 8' centrally thereofi Each contact4, 5- and: 6: is provided: with. a seat on depression 20' forreceiving-one of the rollers; and! holding the, head and switch armiinits operative position when fullly' en gagedtwith such contact". Thespring' 18; acting, on theheadfi causes one of the rollenslrl to'enteraseat or'depressiom 20, spring pnessed' poppet fashion. i 'llhe'base'isinclosedby aisuituble coven21,

which re'sts'on the upper edge of the hous inc; base 2-,.and1 is securedthereto in any suitablemanner, as'byx screws 22,.on: opposite-sidesofthecoven-and threading into the base; The base 2 is provided withsuitable screws '24-; by means of Whiclrit' maybe; attached by anys-uitablesupport and with an opening'25 forthewires'ofi the circuits;

The operating-means for the switch arm is: carried by the cover" 21 andis so con nectcd'ito'the switcharm that such operating mcanscletachesvfvrom the switch arm when: thecoverfil is removed undatta'chesto the switch arm when the cover isreplacedz 'llhe operating: means ismovable about an avis Mined with' the axis: of the shaft 9 of the switcharm. As here shown, it comprises a shaft 26 carried in a suitablebearing 27 in the cover 21 in alinementwith the shaft 9, a handle lever28 mounted on the outer end of the shaft and having a handle 29 therein,and a rock arm 30 mounted on the inner end of the shaft and detachablyengaged with the switch arm. it being here shown as formed with a radialslot 31 for receiving a crank pin 32 on the switch arm 7. As the switcharm is of metal, an insulating cap or bushing 33 incloses the pin Alsomounted on the base 1 at one side of or in the rear of the switch areswitches for controlling signals, such as a bell, an oildutv light andan otlicers light, and, also, controlling the flow of current from thefeed wires through the main switch, the latter controlling switch beinga double pole switch designated 34. The otl-dutv light and the hell arecontrolled by a threeqvav switch designated and the switch for theotiicers lightis a single pole switch designated 30. These switches arearranged on the base 1 in a portion of the cover 21, which is providedwith a movable cover 37. To prevent opening of the cover when the mainswitch is in center position, the cover is hinged at 88 to the coverportion 21, and the hand lever is formed with an arm 39 which normallyoverhangs the tree edge of the movable cover 37 and prevents openingthereof.

The switch arm 28 is provided with a lug for holding it in centralposition, and a locking member 40 pivoted at 41 to the cover is arrangedto swing upwardly to embrace the free end of the lever 28. so that, thehasp of a padlock can be passed through a perforation 12 in the free endof the lever 28 to hold the lock from removal and hence hold the lever28 from operation. This switch is particularly advantageous forcontrolling tratlic signals and in Fig. 5 a group 43 of signalsdesignated for controlling south bound trattic. a group H forcontrolling north bound trattic, a group 45 for controlling east boundtraitie and the group 46 the west bound tratiic, each group usuallyconsisting of a green. amber and red light designated respectivel G, Aand R, the green light indicating that the tratlic is to go, the redlight that the traflic is tostop, the amber light that a change is to bemade from green to red or red to green.

47 designates a bell which operates in sinchronism with the amber light,48 designates the oft-duty light, and 49 the otlicers light. Theoilicers light is arranged above the otficer to make the ofieer clearlyvisible to the tratlic, and the off-duty light is to show the tratlicthat no oiiicer is on duty and that, if the amber light is lit, showingthat the tratlic can proceed and the signal is not in operation. Whenthe otticer is oft-duty. all the amber lights are lit and, as the bella7 usuallv operates in synchronism with the amber light, in order toavoid continual ringing of the bell when the otlicer is olt-duty, thebell circuit is broken by the three- *ay switch 35, which operates toclose the switch through oil-duty light -1i-8 when the circuit is brokenthrough the bell circuit.

The ollicers light is controlled by the single pole switch 36 and thecircuit from the feed wire to the main switch through the double poleswitch Si. 50 and are the feed wires.

In operation, the double pole switch 3% is operated to connect the teedwires in circuit with the switch arm 7. The single pole switch S6 Ina vbe operated to close the circuit through the oiliccrs light l9 and thethree-way switch ma be operated to close the circuit through the bell4T.

Now assuming the switch arm is in central position, as shown in Figs. 3and 5, the current passes in through a teed wire 50 to one pole of thedouble pole 3% through a switch conduct r to a pole 5 -3 of the doublepole switch. through a wire or conductor to a fuse contact 55. throughthe fuse 56 to a fuse contact 5? through a conductor binding post 59.thence through a wire or conductor 0 to the conductor 61 ot the switcharm, through the he: d S and contacts 14 of the switch arm. thencethrough the center contact wire (32 to the amber light of all groups ofsignals 44;. 4:5 and 46. thence through a rear wire 6 to a fuse contact64. fuse 65. fuse terminal 66. conductor 67 to a pole GS of the doublepole switch 3 thence through a switch conductor (if) out through themain 51. Also the current flows from the central contact 5 throughconductor 70, conductor 71 to a pole 72 of the three-way switch through.switch conductor 73 to a pole device 74; ot the three-way switch 35,thence through a wire 75 ot the bell circuit through the bell to returnwire 63.

In case the single pole switch 36 is also operated to on position. thecurrent passes from the binding post 59 through a conductor 77 to a pole'78 ot' the switch 3t. thence through the switch conductor 79 to pole80, thence through a conductor 81 through the lamp 4:9, and thencethrough a conductor 82 to the return wire 63.

hen the switch arm '7 is actuated by turning the handle lever 28 tocarry the switch arm '7 into engagement with the contact 4;. the currentflows through the double pole switch 3 L from the wire 50, as before,through a conductor 54. fuse 56. conductor 58. binding post 59,conductor 61 of the switch arm '7 to the contact .1:, thence throughwires 83. and S1 to the red light of the southand north signal groups13, .4 and to the green lights of the signal groups 45 and 46, thecircuit being completed through the re turn wire (33, as before.

Also, when the signal is operated so that it is in engagement with thecontact 6, the current passes from the main 50 through the double poleswitch to the fuse 56, conductor 61 of the switch arm 7 and contact head8,as before, and from the contact 6 through wires 85 and 86 t0 the greenlights of the signal groups 43, 4:4 and the red lights of the groups 45,46, the-return being made through the wire 63, as before.

As there is no electrical connection between the contacts 4, 6 and thethree-way switch 35, the bell 47 does not ring when the switch arm isengaged with these contacts 4, 6.

By reason of the fact that the contacthead 8 is of greater Width thanthe spaces between the contacts 4, 5 and 5, 6, the amber lamps areenergized in each case, before the red or green lamps are deenergized.

When the signals are to be set with the amber light, as when no ofiiceris on duty, the ofiicers light switch 36 is operated to off position andthe three-way switch 35 is o erated to cut out the bell circuit and cutin the circuit to the off duty light 48, so that the circuit iscompleted to the off duty light from the center or amber contact 5through the conductors 70, 71, pole 86 of the three-way switch 35,conductor 87, pole 88, conductor 89, through the off duty light 48 andthence through the return wires 76 and, 63.

This switch mechanism, which controls a multiplicity of circuits andsignals, is particularly compact in construction and consists of but fewparts.

What I claim is: c

1. In a switch the combination of a base, a series of contacts arrangedin an arc on the base and spaced apart thereon, a switch arm pivoted tothe base substantially at the center of such arc, a contact head carriedat the outer end of the switch arm and pivoted through and havingconducting-terminals on opposite sides of its axis for engaging thecontact.

2. In a switch, the combination of a base, contacts arranged inan are onthe base, a switch arm pivoted to the base on an axis locatedsubstantially at the center of such arc, a contact head carried at theouter end of the arm and pivoted thereto and having means on oppositesides of its pivotal axis for engaging the contacts, the head being alsomounted to move radially relatively to the switch arm and a springtending to thrust the head toward the contacts.

3. In a switch, the combination of a base, a series of contacts mountedon the base, a switch arm movably mounted on the base,

a switch head pivoted to the switch arm and having contacting means onopposite sides of its pivot, the switch arm being movable to carry thehead successively into and out of engagement with the contacts on thebase and the head being of greater width than the space between thecontacts, whereby the head remains in engagement with one contact whilemoving into engagement with tacts, the head being mounted on the arm tomove lengthwise of the arm, and a spring tending to thrust the headtoward the con- .tacts on the base.

5. In a switch, the combination of a base, an arc-shaped series ofcontacts mounted on the base, a switch arm pivotally mounted on the baseconcentric with the center of the arc of such contacts, a contact headpivoted to the switch arm at-the outer end thereof and mounted to movelengthwise of the switch arm, the head having rolling contact points onopposite sides of its axis and the distance between the contact pointsbeing greater than the space between the contacts on the base and aspring tending to thrust the head toward the contacts.

6. In a switch, the combination of a base, an arc-shaped series ofcontacts mounted on the base, a switch arm pivotally mounted on the baseconcentric with the center of the arc of such contacts, a contact headpivoted to the switch arm at the outer end thereof and mounted to movelengthwise of the switch arm, the head having contact points on oppositesides of the axis and the distance between the contact points beinggreater than the space between the contacts on the base, a springtending to thrust the head toward the contacts, and each of the contactson the base having a seat for receiving the rolling contact at one endof the head.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Syracuse, in thecounty of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 15th day of April, 1924.

CARL H. BISSELL.

